In courtMan jailed for brutally raping woman at her home

Craig Sanderson has been jailed for eight years for the brutal rape of a woman at her Rugby home. (s)

A MAN who brutally raped a woman in her own home and attacked her with a kitchen knife during a six-hour ordeal has been jailed for eight years.

Craig Sanderson and his victim, who cannot be named, had been for a drink together earlier in the day - but at her home things took a sinister turn when he locked her in a downstairs bathroom and attacked her while her child watched television in the living room.

The 30-year-old, of Nansen Close, Daventry, met the woman last August when the pair went for a drink before returning back to her home in Rugby.

Prosecutor Michelle Heeley told Warwick Crown Court how they continued drinking and Sanderson began to act oddly, going out into the garden in the rain and removing his hoodie and t-shirt.

When he came back inside, he locked the door and made an offensive suggestion before ordering her into the downstairs bathroom where he attacked her.

Afterwards, referring to the woman's child, Sanderson told her to 'put that thing to bed'.

She did so, but when she left the child's bedroom the woman was confronted by Sanderson holding a kitchen knife and ordering her into her bedroom.

Miss Heeley told the court: "She felt helpless and did as she was told and got onto the bed. He told her to undress and pointed the knife at her neck. He then began to rape her again, restraining her by holding her hands down.

"She was crying, and he punched here to the face and told her to shut up, then paused and closed the bedroom window so people would not hear her."

Sanderson then knelt across his terrified victim and grabbed her hair - pulling out a clump - before attacking her again.

He then went downstairs into the kitchen, followed by the woman who asked him for her phone, which he had taken.

Sanderson asked if she was going to call the police. When she said yes, she then felt a 'massive whack' to her head - knocking her out cold.

The blow, which Sanderson later described as an uppercut, was struck with the hand in which he was holding the knife. The blade hit her head with such force it bent.

Neighbours who heard the commotion came to investigate and found the woman lying unconsious - the knife next to her and a pool of blood forming from her wound.

When he was arrested Sanderson - who had previous convictions for violence and drugs offences and was on bail for an assault at the time - admitted that he had ‘sparked her out’ but claimed they had had rough sex which was consensual.

Defending him, Maxine Krone said: "It is clear he did his best to be frank and accepted full responsibility for his actions. He showed an understanding of how dreadfully he had behaved.

"He has put forward no justification or excuse for his behaviour and has expressed remorse. He was scared and disgusted by his own behaviour."

She added Sanderson was taking Subutex - used to treat heroin addiction - at the time and had also been drinking all day.

Sanderson had pleaded guilty to two charges of raping his victim and one of wounding her with intent.

Sentencing him, Judge Simon Drew said he will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for release.

And he ordered Sanderson should remain on licence after his release until 2025, as well as register as a sex offender for life.